It wasn't always that way. Her mom, Wendy Persons, says she was a typical teenager until last June when she too was diagnosed with leukemia.

"She broke down, said Persons. "She broke in the ER that night and that was pretty much it."

"A life threatening illness with anybody is why me and that's what I thought," explains Annamarie. "And now it's like well, why not me?"

Make no mistake, Annamarie has had her moments. Her form of leukemia is a fast growing cancer of the blood and bone marrow and requires intense chemotherapy.

"There's days when Anna doesn't even want to get out of bed but she does," says Whoberry.

Anna believes that since getting healthy is the most important thing then attitude is everything.

"I have a 50-50 chance either way, and it's up to me. I have to be positive or negative about it," says Annamarie. "The more negative I am than the less chance that I have.

Annamarie has been here so long she celebrated the Fourth of July here, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and today she's celebrating her 17th birthday.

It seemed everybody on the fourth floor, at least the ones that could get out of bed, did to celebrate Annamarie's birthday. And she has another reason to celebrate. Her cancer is in remission.

"I started out the New Year treatment free and cancer-free," says Annamarie proudly.

As soon as her immune system gets stronger Annamarie will finally be able to go home. Until then, she will continue to help Hayden and all the other children on the fourth floor by lighting their way on the road to recovery.